Spend a weekend in York!
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York is a fantastic city for a weekend break. It has plenty of interesting and fun attractions, a large variety of restaurants and bars, and the views are perfect for those memory-making photos. However, if you have never visited York you may find yourself overwhelmed with choice, so we put together an itinerary to give you an idea of what you could do while you are here.
48-hours in York
Friday Afternoon/Evening
Check in to your self-catering holiday cottage at Villa Farm holiday cottages, make yourself at home and pour yourself that well-deserved end-of-the-week drink. If you have booked into one of the hot tub cottages, slip into the warm bubbles, pop on some tunes, and let any stresses slip away; or if you don’t have a hot tub why not curl up on the sofa and pop on a good movie, whilst waiting for a take away to arrive. Want to eat out on your first night? Instead of heading into York just to eat there are some great traditional pubs located close to Villa Farm, such as The Black Swan at Wigginton, or The Dormouse Inn on the York Ring Road. For an extra relaxing night, you could book some pamper treatments with one of our recommended suppliers for in your cottage, such as massages, facials, and much more.
Saturday Morning
Start by either whipping up a good filling breakfast in your cottage, or head to York early and pop to one of the many amazing cafes in the city. Once you have fuelled your body for the day it’s time to hit York’s attractions, a must-see whilst in York is the York Minster! Built over 250 years ago this beautiful Cathedral is steeped in history and is an architectural marvel. Take time to explore the many fascinating areas of the Minster and all the history facts dotted around before heading up the tower to the roof to see some breathtaking views.
Next, it is time to head to one of York’s most popular museums the ‘York Castle Museum’ where you can enjoy the many different exhibits the museum has to offer, such as its own recreated Victorian Street, including an old-fashioned sweet shop. If you have time before lunch pop into Clifford’s Tower next door. Like the York Minster, the tower offers some amazing views from the top, they say you can even see the North York Moors!
Feeling Hungry? Head for some lunch at one of York’s many restaurants. For some inspiration check out our previous blog on tasty places to go in York.
Saturday Afternoon
Carrying on with the castle theme, it’s time to head to the city walls. With just over 2 miles of walls that you can walk and 4 bar walls in between, there is plenty to see as you walk off your lunch. Or, maybe you want to wash your lunch down instead, so head over to the York Brewery At the brewery, you can take a tour to learn all about how the beer is made and even try out some of their brews too.
Time to fit in one more place before nightfall? York’s Art Gallery houses a large collection of paintings, drawings, ceramics, and more than span over 600 years. With so much to see it will certainly give you plenty to talk about as you head off for some tea.
Once night has descended it is time to learn some darker stories about York. As many know York is well known for its ghosts and hauntings and if you feel like trying something different then a ghost tour would be perfect for you. Two slightly different ones are the ‘bloody tour of York’ or the ‘ghost bus tour’, we are sure whichever you choose you are bound to be left feeling a bit spooked and ready to head back to your cosy cottage.
Sunday Morning
Have a spot of breakfast and maybe an early morning stroll around the 15 acres of grounds that Villa Farm has to offer before you get ready to head back into York for another fun-filled day. The first destination of the day is Yorks Chocolate Story where you can take a 90-minute guided tour that takes you through the history of chocolate and York’s famous sweet makers. There is also the chance to try your hand at being a chocolatier yourself and samples to try along the way. Still craving some sweet stuff? Pop into their cafe to sip on a lovely hot chocolate before you head off to your next stop.
You may not be feeling a whole lot like walking after consuming your own body weight in sugar so why not head to the river to relax on one of York’s City Cruises where you can sip on a beverage of your choice whilst listening to an informative tour, and getting those ever-important Insta worthy pics. The river ride is generally about an hour-long which is the perfect amount of time to shake off the sluggish sugar coma ready to head to the famous National Railway Museum.
Sunday Afternoon
At the National Railway Museum, you can immerse yourself in a world of Iconic Locomotives, famous carriages, and years of railway history. With a large variety of trains from throughout the years, as well as a big collection of railway memorabilia, plenty of interactive displays, and the lovely Mallard Cafe, you can easily spend a whole afternoon here.
Finally, to complete your fun-filled weekend in York, stay at the museum to have a truly classy afternoon tea experience in the Countess of York. Or, if you want a change of scenery again, stroll back into York to the famous Betty’s Tea Rooms to indulge in their afternoon tea experience instead. We do strongly advise you pre-book tickets for either of these as they are very popular and usually book up well in advance.
The weekend has come to an end and even though you have fit so much in during your stay in York there is still so much to see and do. So to tackle the holiday blues why not get booking your next York trip ready to explore the rest of this beautiful city next time.
Don’t forget we have the ideal place to stay! With self-catering holiday cottages of varying sizes, and based just 4 miles from the centre, Villa Farm is spot on for anyone looking to have a short break in York.
Looking for more York-based inspiration head to our blog page.
